What is Biodynamic Farming?

 Today begins a little informational prepping for those of you who have joined the Grower Champagne Club and even for those who haven’t. Because the inaugural shipment to the club will contain a bottle grown biodynamically, it’s high time we begin to understand what that means, not just some fuzzy idea that it’s organic PLUS. That is only partly correct. The real story is fascinating! I dare say, even weird, and it may divide people into camps of believers and nonbelievers.

Before we get to our story, I’d like to extend a warm welcome to the wonderful group of charter members. We have been thrilled with the response! It will be a pleasure to meet those of you who attend our blind tasting via Zoom call (save the dates coming soon).  

We’re still welcoming members, so if you’re interested, jump on board before the opportunity passes.

Rudolf Steiner

If you’ve been to Europe recently, say Paris or Berlin, you might have heard a patron in a restaurant ask the sommelier if the wine in his hands was biodynamic.  And then, you might also have heard that many domaines such as Leroy have always been, Romanée-Conti has been since 2008 and many others, Pontet-Canet and Yquem for example are converting.  Converting to what, exactly…? 

Grab a glass (of champagne), take a sip, and try to open your mind.

Father of Biodynamics

The story begins in the Austrian Empire, in the 1880’s, with a young student, freshly arrived in Vienna to study Goethe: Rudolf Steiner.  At the end of the century, the Old World was already shaking with ideological waves that would eventually culminate into catastrophic wars.  In every European capital, esoteric practices were en vogue, secret societies and neo-spiritualism flourished and disassociated from religious symbolism.  Many of them aimed at proving themselves scientifically and almost all of them claimed one thing: power is within each of us.